Travel Trends: Zestrip – what if the locals could show you Italy?

Today we hear from Andrea Pasino, the founder of ZesTrip a cool looking site which allows you to book one off experiences with local people in Italy and at some point, perhaps the world. Over to Andrea…

What is often missing from a trip? The feeling of being able to truly experience the country that you are visiting, the excitement of feeling like a Local, not a tourist. The opportunity to get off the beaten path and discover the most authentic corners that the Locals love. 1.8 billion Travelers are part of the so-called millennials (18-34 years), and most of them are motivated by “the desire to experience the lifestyle of other countries” (data from 2015 Tourism and Travel Trends Report).

When I travel, and I travel a lot, I like to get off the tourist-bus, randomly walk around small alleys, shake hands, talk to people, taste new food, enter local shops and buy things I never held in my hands before. Sure, I can find many of these things myself, but the only safe way not to miss anything worthy of experiencing is to get in touch with the Locals.

This is why, after a trip to Southeast Asia, I came up with the idea of ZesTrip. A site where you could find that hint of flavor, the Zest that could make your Trip memorable. In other words, a place where you could meet the Locals.

Soon enough I convinced two great friends of mine to join me in building this project. Carlo and Michele, software engineer and business consultant, the exact expertise I was missing. After a few months, ZesTrip was online. First of its kind in Italy.

First thing, we selected a number of trusted Locals wishing to share their passion and experience. Hiking enthusiasts, chefs, designers, artisans, architects, photographers, art experts or music, always with a strong link with the territory and the desire to lead others into unforgettable experiences.

Discovering Milan with Marco while riding a Vespa, unveiling the beauty of the city from a new perspective that allows you to soak in the atmosphere of a film in black and white. Paragliding with Piermauro in the beautiful alpine valleys. Cooking fresh pasta with Stefania with a view on the Tuscan hills, and then enjoying them at dinner in a family atmosphere. Crossing the Como Lake with Luigi on a sailboat, surrounded by stunning mountains and picturesque fishing villages. Activities for all tastes and all budgets, to rediscover the joy of trying something for the first time.

However, this is not all! On the ZesTrip Open-Blog, the Locals will be posting their advice on how to live Italy like an Italian, and the Travellers will be able to share their travel experiences.

We are quickly expanding throughout the whole Italy, as it is here where we can best exploit our knowledge and our contacts, but our project has no borders 🙂